Dear colleague:

The medical students in the Class of 2024 have now completed orientation and they are beginning course work. The class of 160 students was drawn from a record pool of applicants – 10,432 primary applications, with 6,847 completing secondary applications. We had a 20 percent increase in primary applications. Of the secondary applications, 7 percent came from residents of Colorado.

This year’s class includes 71 Colorado residents, while 31 other states are listed as home for members of the class. Our students come from 85 undergraduate colleges and universities, with about 85 percent of our new medical students listing a science major. Biology was the most common, with 48 majors, while there are 14 biochemistry, 10 engineering, and eight neuroscience majors. Non-science majors included Latin American literature, political science, mathematics, global health, and economics.

In this year’s class, 57 percent identify as female, with the remainder being male or non-binary. The average age of the class is 24 years old. Twenty-one percent come from backgrounds traditionally under-represented in medicine and 26 are the first in their family to complete college. Twenty-seven of the students in this year’s class were born in countries other than the United States. Those places of birth include Nigeria, Iraq, India, Sudan, Syria, Portugal, China, Japan, Iran, Mexico, and Korea.

Each year, we celebrate the infusion of energy and optimism that accompanies the beginning of the academic year. Our country is in great need of that enthusiasm and strength now and we are fortunate to have the Class of 2024 here to join our community of talented and dedicated educators, physicians, scientists, and colleagues. We are confident that the contributions of this class will be impressive and we welcome each member to the School of Medicine.

Several School of Medicine faculty members have recently published notable studies.

Nanette Santoro, MD, chair of obstetrics and gynecology, is the lead author of a study published online last week by the journal Menopause on the findings of a clinical trial of a non-hormonal therapy to treat hot flashes and other symptoms associated with menopause. Women with moderate-to-severe menopausal vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes, who were enrolled in a 12-week study of fezolinetant, reported relief of those symptoms.

Saketh R. Guntupalli, MD, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and colleagues in the department’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology and Division of Family Planning, reported the results of a study that showed the use of oral anticoagulation is a safe alternative to subcutaneous administration to prevent blood clotting for postoperative patients with gynecologic cancer. The details of the study were published in an article on the JAMA Network Open in late June. The article is garnering online attention  and Saketh describes it as a practice-changing paper.

Janine Young, MD, associate professor of pediatrics, medical director of the Denver Health Refugee Clinic and co-director of the Human Rights Clinic, is author with colleagues of the first paper of its kind on the diagnosis, management, and treatment of female genital mutilation or cutting in children. The paper, published in the August issue of the journal Pediatrics, argues for widespread adoption of existing standard of care practice of external genital examinations on all girls and adolescent females at all well child checks. The paper also calls for required continuing medical education for front-line providers who care for affected and at-risk girls.

Congratulations to the scores of CU School of Medicine faculty member on the 5280 magazine Denver’s Top Doctors 2020 list. The magazine reports 339 doctors in 98 specialties on its list. Each year for the past 26 years, the magazine has conducted a survey of Denver-area physicians to ask who they trust to treat themselves and their families. Our faculty routinely comprise at least of this list. This year is no different, with 168 faculty members listed in the categories published by the magazine.

Have a good week,

John J. Reilly, Jr., MD
Richard D. Krugman Endowed Chair
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and
Dean, School of Medicine

The Dean’s weekly message is an email news bulletin from John J. Reilly, Jr., MD, Dean of the CU School of Medicine, that is distributed to inform University of Colorado School of Medicine faculty members, staff, students and others about issues pertaining to the School’s mission of education, research, clinical care and community service.  For clinical news and patient stories from UCHealth, please visit UCHealth Today

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